A few moments later,
Following Himeno's shocking declaration, the group could be seen rushing through the hallways of the hotel, clearing it room by room with Denji taking the lead.
"Hey! Slow down! Going alone is dangerous!" Shouted Arai as he hurriedly followed Denji's lead.
"Stop!" Arai continued to shout, attempting to obstruct Denji and prevent him from claiming the agreed-upon prize.
Meanwhile, just as the two were rushing ahead, the rest of the group followed at a slower pace, with Himeno watching their reaction in amusement while commenting.
"Nothing's more fun than messing with boys."
It's just that such a sentiment wasn't shared by the rest of the group as each of the remaining three members was preoccupied with their own thoughts.
Kobeni, for instance, behaved like the scaredy-cat she was, hugging herself in an attempt to reduce her presence while timidly looking around.
"What do I do? What do I do?" She fretted.
However, in response, Power who was to her right, completely ignored her as she weirdly declared in a bored tone.
"I want to drink blood."
It's just that as this group of four continued to move slowly, the two ahead of them moved quicker and quicker, with Denji effectively running in front and Arai running right behind him.
"It's dangerous! Stop!" Arai shouted one last time before finally deciding to use physical means to halt Denji's progress.
So, with great determination, he suddenly pushed Denji against the wall, preventing him from moving, as he spoke passionately.
"Ms. Himeno has been training me for six months, I can't let some random punk steal those lips! So I'm taking that cheek kiss!"
"Fuck off! I don't need some dude getting up close and personal! Gross!"
"Why you- Fuck you!"
However, as the two of them continued to fight, their momentary pause provided the group who had been moving slowly behind them the opportunity to finally catch up.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Moreover, after they did so, they even paused to watch and wait for the altercation to end.
It's just that as the four observed the confrontation for a moment, Power and Kobeni dashed forward to get a closer look, eager to fan the flames of the conflict.
This, of course, left Himeno and Aki who appeared to be the only ones who were somewhat reliable within the group on their own.
"Himeno, do you think the new recruits can be useful?" Suddenly asked Aki not sure about how useful the new members are.
"Arai isn't much in terms of power but makes up for it in motivation, Kobeni is very introverted but is quite capable."
"..."
"Aki, do you think these four can survive?"
"No matter whether I think they are strong or not, within a year, everyone either dies or goes private."
"That doesn't answer my question though."
"..."
Not wanting to talk anymore, Aki decisively moved forward, interrupting the battle and leading the group to continue advancing through the hallways, following the guidance of the gun devil's fragment.
"But anyways, I don't see any devils here, can we really trust that flesh piece you have?" Questioned Denji not appearing that convinced.
It's just that before anyone could answer, Himeno who was currently in the front suddenly stopped and said.
"Aki, it's coming."
Then, as if on cue, one of the doors to the right suddenly swung open, revealing a bizarre sight.
From there, a head strangely attached to one foot and one hand slowly emerged and "stood" before them, wearing a wide and sinister grin.
"Heeeh."
*Swish*
Not waiting for anyone to react, the strange devil swiftly lunged toward Kobeni as he sensed her intense fear and anxiety.
However, before he could reach his target, Himeno acted swiftly, raising her hand and employing her ghost devil's ability to intercept the devil mid-air, catching it before it could harm Kobeni.
"Got it!"
This, of course, surprised Denji who had never seen such a thing before as he couldn't help but comment.
"It stopped mid-air!"
It's just that before he or anyone else from the group could react, Power suddenly rushed forward, manipulating her blood into an axe, and swiftly cleaved the devil in half, right down the middle.
"You filthy devil! You froze mid-air in terror of me!" She laughed while pointing her axe at the devil's remains.
"No! No! That was my power!" Interrupted Himeno before proceeding to explain her ability under Power's confused gaze.
"How about it Aki? Did you find a piece of the gun bastard?" She continued, looking quite relaxed.
"No strong reaction, It's not this one."
"I see, then let's go up a floor!"
"Alright."
.
.
Making a quick decision, the group wasted no time as they moved, pressing on to the next floor without hesitation.
*Step*
*Step*
It's just that the moment they reached the next floor, Arai suddenly froze in place as he noticed something inexplicable
"What's wrong?"
"We just climbed the stairs from the 8th to the 9th floor, right?"
"Yes."
"This is the 8th floor again."
"Huh? You sure didn't get the numbers wrong?"
"I didn't! Something isn't right, I'm going to check!"
Still trusting in his intuition and deduction, Arai wasted no time in testing his conjecture as he quickly walked down the stairs, determined to confirm his suspicions.
However, to his utter bewilderment, the moment he did so, he bizarrely emerged from the floor above, as if he were descending from the 9th floor.
"Uh-Oh." He uttered, not appearing happy at all after being proven right.
"Arai, you just went down the stairs right?"
"Yes..."
.
.
.